Close to Home
by oldmoviewatcher
Summary: When she opened the door, she quickly put her gun back in its holster.  In front of the duo were two six year old girls, each with brown hair and blue- green eyes.  One held a baby in her arms while they huddled behind the bunk beds.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been working on this story for a while, and finally got to a point where I thought it was ready to be posted. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the children. Andrew Marlowe and ABC are the only ones with the rights to **_**Castle. **_**Also, I do not own **_**Harry Potter**_**.**

Kate Beckett stepped behind the crime scene tape to find Lanie looking over a dead body.

"What do we have?" Kate questioned once her friend looked up.

"Multiple gunshot wounds on this guy. Don't know that much on the other one."

"There's another one?" Castle asked coming in and giving Kate her coffee. The detective took a sip of her beverage before responding.

"Yeah, a man and a woman." Kate said. "Where was the woman found?" She asked looking back at the medical examiner.

"She was in the back bedroom." Lanie responded. "Taken back to the morgue five minutes before you got here." Kate nodded before motioning Castle to follow her. They went to the bedroom Lanie told them the woman had been in.

"Kinda reminds me of Harry Potter." Castle whispered seeing the crib against the wall and a blanket on the floor. Kate gave him a disapproving look. They looked around the room to see anything that may have been missed when the partners heard a loud cry come from the other room. Taking her gun out, Kate led the way into the other room. When she opened the door, she quickly put her gun back in its holster. In front of the duo were two six year old girls, each with brown hair and blue- green eyes. One held a baby in her arms while they huddled behind the bunk beds. The children's eyes went wide at the sight of the strangers.

"Hi." Kate said sweetly as she bent down to the children's eye level. "My name is Detective Beckett, but you can call me Kate." She pointed at Castle and said, "This is my friend Rick Castle."

"Rick." Castle commented so the girl could know what to call him.

"What's your name?" Kate questioned. The twins stared at each other a moment before the first one nodded her curly haired head at the other.

"Cassie." The first child responded softly. "Do you know who took my mommy?" Kate looked up at Castle for reassurance. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked back at Cassie and her siblings.

"My friend took her to my work." Kate replied simply. Cassie nodded and looked over at her sister who was crying silently.

"S'okay Lanie." Cassie reassured her twin. Lanie nodded as she gave her sibling to her sister. Cassie gave her sister a questioning look.

"My arms are tired." Lanie replied. Cassie nodded and took her sibling.

"May I see him?" Kate asked the children. Again, the girls looked at each other before silently agreeing. The baby was passed to Kate.

"His name is Corbin, but we call him Corby." Lanie said as she handed her brother to the detective.

"How old is he?" Castle queried watching Kate gingerly take the child.

"A year." Cassie and Lanie responded together.

"We need to take you girls with us okay?" Kate said softly. The girls nodded, Cassie grabbing Kate's hand and Lanie grabbing Castle's. The detective and writer came out of the girls' room to find Esposito and Ryan coming into the living room.

"Can you guys look after the scene?" Kate asked as she nodded to a sleeping Corbin she held in her arms.

"Yeah." Esposito said. Kate thanked him before asking the girls to tell her where their brother's car seat was kept. After taking them to Kate's car, they realized the ride back would be a little cramped.

**Review please! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the alerts and reviews I got. I didn't think they'd come that fast! Anyway, here's your next chapter!**

**Oh, Gates'll be slightly dim in this chapter. Seriously, you'll be asking yourself why Gates is acting stupid. Anyway, on with the story! **

"I'm glad the girls told us they don't have booster seats." Kate told Rick as she drove to the precinct.

"So am I." Rick responded as he looked back at the children. He chuckled as he turned around.

"What?" Kate asked with a smirk on her lips.

"They're out." Rick answered.

"I wouldn't be surprised. They've been through a lot today." Kate responded as she put her car in park at the station. She looked behind her seat before getting out.

"I'll get Lanie and Corby." Castle said as he shut his car door. The partners woke the children and they walked into the elevator.

"Can I push the button?" Cassie asked looking up at Beckett.

"I wanna push it!" Lanie complained. A little argument ensued between the children when Castle said, "We'll let Cassie push the button this time. Then the next time we get in, Lanie can push it."

"Fine." Lanie grumbled. Cassie pushed the button and the group went up to the precinct. The six year olds stared at the precinct when they walked in.

"You work here?" Lanie asked stunned.

"Yep." Kate answered smiling at the girl.

"Cool!" Lanie said going over to Kate's desk to spin in the chair.

"If she ends up like our Lanie, I think I'm gonna laugh." Castle whispered in Beckett's ear. Kate rolled her eyes at her partner.

"I doubt it." Kate replied as they situated the children near Kate's desk. After about an hour of working, Gates came out of her office to find the girls surrounding Castle as he showed them how to make a paper airplane.

"Mr. Castle!" Gates said bringing both Castle and the children out of their joy.

"Hello Sir." Castle replied wishing he could ignore the chief's glare and watch his airplane fly through the room.

"What have I said about children in the office?" The woman questioned.

"With all due respect sir, Cassie and Lanie—" The man was stopped by Gates' glare settling behind him. The children and Castle looked to see Kate with Corbin in her arms.

"Detective Beckett, I would expect something like this from Mr. Castle here, but you—" The woman stopped and looked at Beckett, Castle, and the children. Deciding not to deal with the partners in the middle of the precinct, she nodded for them to come to her office. Kate gave a look to Ryan and Esposito telling them to watch the children. They nodded and Castle and Beckett followed Gates.

"Are they the reason for your partnership?" Gates questioned pointing outside her window toward Corbin, Lanie, and Cassie. Castle and Beckett stared at her.

"They aren't ours Sir." Beckett responded.

"One of them is named Lanie." Gates replied.

"I _didn't _name them." Castle responded to himself. Beckett and Gates glared at him.

"They aren't our children." Kate restated.

"Who's are they?" Gates questioned.

"The victims'." Castle and Kate responded.

"They were in the apartment when their parents were killed." Castle said.

"Lanie and Cassie will probably be able to help us with the investigation." Kate stated. Gates, a little embarrassed, told the partners they could leave.

"Why were you in trouble?" Lanie asked when the adults left Gates' office.

"It doesn't matter anymore sweetie." Kate said. Castle looked at his watch.

"Hey, we got somethin'." Esposito said.

"I'll take the kids." Castle said. He looked down at the girls and said, "Are you two hungry?" Lanie and Cassie nodded eagerly.

"Okay, let's go!" Castle stated gleefully. "Get your jackets on first though." Lanie and Cassie nodded before taking their jackets and putting them on.

"Can I push the button?" Cassie asked on the way out.

"No, it's Lanie's turn remember?" Castle said as he and the kids walked into the elevator. Beckett smiled before turning back to Esposito.

"The dad, David Brandon, was an up and coming lawyer, his wife, Andrea is a nurse, but took the last couple days off because one of the kids had been sick." Esposito stated once Castle and his entourage left.

"Okay, does Lanie have anything?" Beckett questioned sighing inwardly about how confusing it would be if Lanie Brandon and Lanie Parish were in the same room.

"Yeah," Ryan said, "David was shot twice through and through. Andrea was shot in the head."

"No sign of an attack?" Kate asked.

"No, probably knew their attacker." Esposito said. "Lanie's running a print found on the door to Corbin's room." Kate nodded.

"Thanks guys."

"No problem, boss." Ryan said.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Now that I know my story's got potential: I give you the next chapter!**

Castle sat in a booth with Corbin in a highchair beside the table. Cassie and Lanie were sitting across from him drawing on the colouring page on the table.

"What are you two colouring?" Castle questioned. Cassie showed him.

"Who is this?" Castle asked pointing to one of the figures on the paper.

"Mommy." Cassie replied, "and that's Daddy, Lanie, and Corby." Castle studied the picture for a moment.

"Who is this other person?" Castle asked.

"Uncle Ben." Cassie said softly.

"He stayed with us once, but then Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let him anymore." Lanie added. Castle was about to ask something else when their food arrived.

"Thank- you!" Lanie and Cassie said when the waitress gave them their orders.

"You're very welcome!" The woman smiled back. Castle let the children eat before texting Beckett to tell him when it was a good idea for him and the kids to come back to the precinct. His phone rang and he answered it.

"_I don't think Gates will be happy to see them any time soon."_ Kate said answering his text.

"That's fine." Castle said, "I can take them to the park."

"_Okay. How are they?"_ Kate questioned.

"They're fine Kate. You sound like their mother or something." Castle told her. Kate let out a small laugh.

"_If they say anything, tell me." _Kate told him. Castle looked over at Corby who was happily playing with his Cheerios.

"I will." He said. Seeing the girls were not paying attention to him he added, "I'm sending you a picture of Cassie's drawing.

"_Okay. Hey, do you know if they know a Ben Sanchez?"_

"They have an Uncle Ben. I don't know if it's any relation."

"_Alright. Castle, I don't think we'll be able to take them to Social Services any time soon."_

"Guess we'll have to buy a stroller." Rick said. "I can't keep carrying Corby."

"_You could probably buy one before taking them to the park. Hey, I gotta go. Meet me back here at say five? If they're staying with either of us, we'll need to get them stuff." _Kate said. Castle agreed and the adults' good- byes were said.

"How would you like to go to the park after we buy a stroller for your brother?" The writer asked. Cassie and Lanie looked at each other.

"Why can't we see Kate?" Cassie asked.

"Our boss doesn't think it's a good idea." Castle answered. The girls' faces fell.

"We'll see her later though." Castle answered. "You'll have to stay with me or Kate for a while okay?"

"Why?" Lanie asked.

"It'll help us solve what happened to your parents." Castle said. He sat up and said, "Now, who's ready to go?" Cassie and Lanie both cheered while they waited for Castle to get their brother cleaned up and ready to leave.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Yay, a longer chapter!**

About an hour later, Rick Castle was in the park with the three kids. Castle sat on a bench with Corby while Cassie and Lanie played on the playground. A few minutes later, Lanie came over to Castle and sat beside him.

"What brings you over here?" Castle asked cheerfully.

"Me and Cassie are playing hide and seek. I'm it." Lanie said happily. "Have you ever played hide and seek?" She questioned. Rick smiled at her.

"I still play." He answered.

"Really?" Lanie's eyes went wide trying to imagine a grown man playing hide and seek. "Who do you play with?"

"I sometimes play with my daughter." Castle said referring to his games of laser tag.

"You have a daughter?"

"Yep. Her name is Alexis, but she's a lot older than you." Castle said.

"How old?" Lanie questioned.

"Eighteen." Castle answered. Lanie's eyes grew big. Castle laughed.

The quartet met Beckett a couple hours later at the precinct. They got in Beckett's car and drove to the store.

"What does Corby usually like to eat?" Kate asked the girls.

"He likes bananas." Cassie answered.

"And Cheerios." Lanie added looking at her sister. Kate shook her head at the girls while they walked further in the store. She picked up items containing what Cassie and Lanie had said before looking at them and saying, "Rick showed me your picture Cassie. He told me it was of your family."

"Yep!" Cassie replied.

"You forgot Uncle Ben!" Lanie said. "He acted funny sometimes. Mommy wouldn't let us around him much." Kate saw the distant look in Cassie's eyes.

"You okay?" Beckett asked looking at Cassie. The child nodded. Knowing something was a little off, Kate decided to wait for a better time to discuss the matter. "Let's go find Castle and your brother." The girls nodded and followed their protector.

"Rick!" The girls said when they saw Castle. They latched on to his legs and he looked down and smiled at them. Kate looked at the pair and laughed.

"Come on you two, we still have to pay for what we got." She said. The children took their arms from the writer's legs. Putting the items she and the girls had gotten in the cart, Kate watched as the children got a little ahead of her and Castle. They looked down at Corbin who was staring at the adults. Kate smiled at him before looking at Castle.

"Who are they staying with?" Kate asked. Castle looked at her and raised an eyebrow telling her they would stay with him.

"You don't have the room for three kids." Castle said as they stood in the check-out.

"You're right." Kate sighed. "Have you talked to your mother or Alexis?"

"No." Castle replied. "But I doubt they'd mind."

"Castle." Kate warningly stated. Before she could say something else, Lanie and Cassie said, "Can we have it?" Each had candy in her hands and an eager smile on her face. Kate and Castle gave each other a look before Castle said, "Not tonight guys. We still need dinner." The kids sighed and put the candy back on the shelf. The group got up to the register where the cashier said, "Your kids are adorable." Castle and Beckett looked at the girls who were playing with their brother.

"Thank- you." Castle said smiling. Kate lightly hit him as they walked to the car. He looked at her with a shocked expression on his face.

"How could you say thank- you to the cashier. They aren't our kids." Kate explained.

"So, they're still adorable." Castle said. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Let's get them back to your place. You may wanna call Alexis." Kate said.

"Are we going to meet Alexis?" Lanie asked happily.

"Yep! You guys are going to stay with me for a while." Castle responded. Ten minutes later, Castle and Beckett were at Castle's loft.

"Could you take this bag for us?" Castle asked Lanie and Cassie as he gave them both a bag. They took one so Kate could take a sleeping Corbin in her arms.

"Who wants to push the button?" Kate asked once everyone was in the elevator.

"I do!" Lanie said.

"It's my turn!" Cassie informed.

"No it's not!" Lanie replied.

"It's Cassie's turn this time kiddo." Kate said. The group rode the elevator to Castle's loft where Castle opened the door. Martha and Alexis turned from their places on the couch when the group entered.

"Hi Dad!" Alexis said when he came in. She got up when she saw the kids coming in behind him, Cassie hiding behind Kate's leg and Lanie behind Castle's.

"Hi," Alexis said bending down to Lanie's level, "I'm Alexis." Lanie smiled a little.

"Hi." Lanie replied before pointing to Kate and Alexis' dad saying, "They found us." Alexis smiled.

"They did?" She asked. Lanie nodded before Alexis spoke again.

"You wanna come in and have dinner?" The red head asked. Lanie nodded and followed Alexis. Twenty minutes later, everyone was at Castle's dining room table.

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	5. Chapter 5

**There will be Casketty goodness for you here. Enjoy!**

"Eat sweetie." Kate said looking at Cassie's plate. The child shook her head.

"I don't feel good." She said. The detective was unsure whether to believe the girl or not considering one of them had been sick a few days before.

"Just take a couple more bites for me okay?" Kate asked. The child nodded and ate another bite of her food. Castle raised his eyebrow at her. She mouthed she would tell him later. He nodded. Martha watched the couple interacting and smirked. If anyone were looking in on the people around the table, the group would look like a happy family.

After dinner, Martha and Kate stood in the kitchen cleaning dishes.

"You're very good with them." Martha told Kate. The younger woman smiled while drying a dish.

"They're good kids." Kate said.

"It must be hard with both their parents gone." Martha responded. Kate sighed and turned to face Castle's mother.

"I don't think they fully realize what happened." Kate responded. The detective and Martha looked at Castle and Alexis who were playing with the kids in the living room.

"If you don't mind my asking dear, why did you bring them here?" Martha asked.

"Castle's place was bigger." Kate responded going back to the sink.

"Kate?" Cassie said coming up to her. "My throat hurts." The detective bent down to the girl.

"Can you open your mouth and say Ahh for me?" Kate asked. The child nodded and did as she was told.

"It looks a little red." Beckett replied. "If you feel worse in the morning you'll probably have to go to the doctor. Okay?" The child nodded.

"Go back and play." Kate told her. The child went off and played with her sister. Castle came in a couple seconds later.

"What?" Beckett asked when she saw the look he gave her.

"Nothing." Castle replied. Kate eyed him suspiciously before letting the conversation drop.

"Cassie has a sore throat." Kate decided to say instead. Castle nodded.

"Corbin fell asleep not too long ago. I put him down in my room." Castle stated. Kate looked at the clock.

"Do you think we should let the girls go to bed?" Kate asked nodding to the girls who were playing with Alexis. Castle shrugged.

"Let them stay up a little longer. Maybe Alexis will tire them out." Castle stated.

"Alright, you're the parent." Kate said smirking. The partners walked in the writer's living room and watched the children play.

"Kate!" Lanie said hugging the woman.

"Hi kiddo!" Kate said hugging the child back. "You having fun playing with Alexis?"

"Uh huh!" The child excitedly answered. "Are you staying here?" The girl asked. Kate looked at Lanie and then at Cassie who both had equal looks of hope on their faces. The detective looked up at Rick who was just as baffled as she was.

"It's fine dear." Martha said coming in the room. "We can find _somewhere _for you to sleep."

"Martha really—" Kate started.

"I insist." Martha replied. Beckett looked back at Castle who had the same look on his face he often used with her when he knew he was unable to argue with his mother. She sighed and looked down at the girls.

"Yes, I am." Kate smiled.

"Yay!" The two girls screamed in joy. Rick hushed them saying they would wake their brother.

"He can sleep through anything." Cassie told them. The adults laughed before telling the girls it was time for them to go to sleep.

"Do we have to?" Lanie whined.

"Yes." Rick sternly replied. "I have a room made up especially for you and your sister." He took the girls to their room and told them to get ready for bed and he would come back and read them a story if they wanted. About twenty minutes later, Castle was back downstairs.

"Hey." Kate said as she placed a pillow on the couch. "They asleep?"

"Yeah, out like a light." Castle responded. "You okay sleeping on the couch?"

"Yeah, Castle. Where are you sleeping? It looks like Corbin took your bed."

"Eh, I'll probably stay up writing. My deadline is in a couple weeks and I need to finish my chapter." Castle responded. Kate nodded.

"Where are Alexis and Mother?" The writer asked.

"Alexis said she had homework to finish and Martha went upstairs a few minutes ago."

"I guess I missed 'em while I was reading." Castle shrugged. Kate noticed a distant look in his eyes.

"What?" Kate asked.

"I was remembering when Alexis was a kid. Cassie reminds me of her at that age." Castle responded walking toward his office.

"Hey, Castle." Kate said. "I meant to ask you, what do you think about Ben Sanchez possibly being their Uncle?" Castle frowned.

"I hope not." He responded before reassuringly saying, "We'll figure it out tomorrow."

"Okay." Kate said. She looked at him again. "Good night Castle."

"Night Kate." Castle said smiling a little at her. "Sweet dreams."

**Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews guys. Oh, just for the record, you get to see more of motherly Beckett. Aww!**

**Okay, enough happy mushiness, on with the story!**

A few hours later, Kate was woken up by a soft voice calling her name. She opened an eye to see Lanie looking at her.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked sitting up.

"Cassie threw up." The child said. Kate put a hand over her face and followed the child. Kate found Cassie in the bathroom and went to hold the little girl's hair. When the child was done vomiting, Kate picked her up and took her to the guest room.

"I don't feel good." Cassie mumbled in Kate's shirt.

"I know sweetie." Beckett answered as she put the girl back under the covers. The detective smoothed the child's hair and noticed the girl felt warm.

"Is Cassie okay?" Lanie questioned. Kate's heart warmed at the twin's worry for her sister.

"She's just sick. She'll be okay. How about you sleep on the couch for tonight though until she's better?" Kate asked. Lanie nodded. Beckett looked back at Cassie and said, "I'll be back up in a minute." The child nodded before the detective and Lanie headed downstairs. Kate walked to Castle's office. She sighed when she saw he fell asleep, but went over to him anyway.

"Castle." Kate whispered. He didn't wake up. "Rick." She whispered louder. He shot up.

"What?" He asked bewildered. Kate tried to keep a straight face at her childlike partner.

"Where's your thermometer?" She questioned. Rick stared at her as he tried to comprehend what the detective said.

"I think it's in my bathroom. I'll go get it." He said. Kate followed him.

"What happened?" He asked as they walked into his room trying not to wake the sleeping baby.

"Cassie threw up. I went up there and she was warm. I'm letting Lanie sleep on the couch at the moment." Castle nodded as he rummaged through his cabinet drawers.

"Found it!" He triumphantly exclaimed handing the item to Kate.

"You sure you don't want me to go up there?" Castle asked.

"I should be fine." Kate answered. "Thanks though."

"Always." Castle answered. The adults' eyes locked for a minute before Kate left to check the girl's temperature. Kate came down a little later to find Castle sitting on the couch with Lanie.

"What are you still doing up?" Kate asked.

"I couldn't sleep. How's Cassie?" He questioned as he went to stand near the detective.

"She's asleep. Her fever wasn't too high, but I'm going to check it a little later to make sure." Kate responded.

"Sleep." Castle answered. "You need it if you're going to work tomorrow." Kate smiled at her partner.

"I'd feel bad doing that. Besides, I've gotten more sleep than you." She answered.

"Fine, but if you need me, I'll be sleeping on the couch in my study." Castle said going toward the mentioned room. He stopped when he saw Kate staring at Lanie who was sleeping peacefully on the sofa.

"What?" Castle asked bringing the detective out of her thoughts. She shook her head not wanting to tell him she felt too involved with the case.

"They're young Kate. They'll bounce back." Castle told her before heading to his couch. Kate stared at the closed door for a minute before going back upstairs to check on Cassie.

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	7. Chapter 7

**I know the past chapters have been a lot longer, but the end seemed a plausible place to stop. **

**Enjoy!**

The next morning Kate woke up with a start. She realized Alexis had come in to wake her up.

"Breakfast is ready Kate if you want it." The red- head told the detective. Kate rubbed her eyes.

"Thanks Alexis, I'll be down in a minute."

Kate looked in the mirror before going downstairs. She looked like she had not slept, but decided she was too hungry to care.

At the precinct, Kate was unable to concentrate on the case.

"Yo Beckett, you okay?" Esposito asked. She looked up at him.

"Yeah, just trying to wake up. Is there still more coffee in the break room?"

"Yeah." Esposito responded. "Oh, Lanie said she has something she wants you to see."

"Alright." Kate said heading to the break room to grab coffee before heading down to autopsy. She knew it probably was a bad idea to take coffee with her, but she needed the caffeine. The detective walked into autopsy to see Lanie looking at her strangely.

"You look exhausted girl." Lanie said. "What'd you _do _last night?"

"Let's not talk about it." Kate responded. "What did you find?" The detective questioned. Lanie told her friend the information she found before saying, "By the way, where _is _Writerboy?"

"He's at the loft with the kids. We're pretty sure Gates still doesn't want them around and Cassie's sick anyway." Kate responded before looking at her cup and realizing she was out of coffee. She heard a small laugh.

"What?" Kate asked not sure if she wanted to hear a joke about her and Castle's supposed relationship today.

"You stayed at Castle's house last night." Lanie stated.

"So? I couldn't necessarily say 'no' to a happy six year old who just lost her parents. Besides, they all ganged up on me."

"Mhm. Sure." Lanie said. Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm going back upstairs now." Kate said turning around. Lanie looked down at the body on the autopsy table and said, "You and I both know what's goin' on here and _you're _dead."

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	8. Chapter 8

**Just so you know, this is most definitely longer than the previous chapter. It will also add a new angle to the story!**

When Kate came back to the bullpen, she saw Ryan and Esposito on their phones. She sat back at her desk to see what information she could find on the closest relative to the Brandon children. She had just started her search when Ryan said, "We found information on Ben Sanchez."

Kate looked at the man who went on with his findings.

"He was around the apartment when the victims were murdered. Video footage showed him at a gas station outside the city last night."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"No, but we did find out he's Andrea's brother." Esposito said. Kate closed her eyes in frustration.

"Okay, um, see what else you can find." Kate said.

"Well boss, that's the thing, the only other thing on him is that he's got a son around a year old." Ryan said. Kate looked at the detective waiting for him to explain.

"The baby is Corbin. Records from last year don't show any doctor visits made by the Brandons until Corbin was a few weeks old." Ryan stated.

"So you're saying Corbin is Ben's son?" Kate asked trying to process the information she was given. Esposito nodded. Kate sighed as she went back to hunting for relatives of the Brandon children.

Hours later, Kate went back to Castle's loft after picking up clothes from her apartment. She knocked on the door to have Alexis let her in.

"Hi Kate." Alexis said. "Dad's in the kitchen."

"Thanks Alexis." Kate said walking inside the house. Alexis went back to playing with Lanie and Corbin while Kate went into the kitchen.

"Hello Beckett!" Castle said happily. She smiled at him before greeting him. She leaned against the island.

"How's Cassie?" She asked.

"Her fever went down. It's probably just a twenty four hour thing." Castle replied. Kate nodded before looking at the kids in the living room. Her eyes locked on Corbin.

"Kate." Castle called bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked at him.

"Are you okay? I said your name a couple times but you never answered." Castle told her.

"Yeah, just a new angle in the case." Beckett sighed. "What's for dinner?"

"You staying here again?" Castle asked.

"Yeah. Now answer the earlier question."

"Pushy." Castle commented. Beckett rolled her eyes before Castle answered, "Chicken."

"Kate!" Lanie said dragging the detective in the living room. "Play with us!" Happy to get some of the day's events from her mind, Kate played with Lanie, Corbin, and Alexis until dinner was ready.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry if the chapter seems a little cut off at the end. Truth is, it is because that is the only part I felt could end the chapter without making it too short.**

**Enjoy!**

About an hour later, Cassie came downstairs to find everyone at the dining room table.

"Hey," Castle said. "You feeling better?" The child nodded a little as she made her way to the table and sat down in a chair.

"Would anyone like dessert?" Martha asked a few minutes later. Lanie and Castle grinned happily. Kate shook her head at the two.

"What did you do today?" Kate asked the little girl.

"We played here. Did you know that Rick has Laser Tag?" Lanie asked excitedly. Kate smiled remembering the first time she had come to Castle's loft.

"I did know." Kate said. "Who did you play with?"

"Alexis and then Rick! Alexis is _real _good! She beat me _four _times!" Lanie said happily. Kate looked over at the child's playmates and tried to hide her laughter.

"Dessert!" Martha said bringing in a cheesecake.

"Cheesecake!" Lanie and Cassie said excitedly.

"I thought you were sick?" Rick said raising an eyebrow at Cassie. The child grinned.

"No cheesecake for you tonight kiddo." Martha said.

"Maybe tomorrow if you feel better?" Rick said after seeing the annoyed look on the girl's face.

"This is better than Mommy's!" Lanie exclaimed after she took a bite of the cheesecake. Alexis, Martha, Rick, and Kate shared a brief look of sadness before being brought out of it when Corbin looked at Kate and said, "Mama?" Kate stared at the child in disbelief. She looked at Rick for reassurance and he promptly gave her an expression telling her he had no idea how to fix the assumption. Kate looked back at the child.

"Kate, not Mama." She told the baby.

"Mama." Corbin said again. This time, Lanie looked at her brother and said, "Corby, this is Kate. Mama's not here." Corbin stared at his sister in incomprehension. The room was quiet for a moment before Martha said, "I'm going to clean up. Alexis, will you help me?" Alexis nodded knowing her dad and Kate had to talk to the girls. Rick and Kate looked at each other before Rick said, "Kate and I need to talk to you okay?" The girls nodded as they followed the adults to Castle's study. Cassie and Lanie sat on the couch and waited for the detective and writer to say something. Kate took a breath before saying, "I need to ask you questions about your parents." The children nodded letting the woman know she could continue.

"You said you had an Uncle Ben. Do you know what his last name is?" Kate questioned. The girls looked at each other before Lanie said, "Sanchez. He's Mommy's brother." Kate nodded.

"You said your parents wouldn't let your uncle over a lot. Why?" Castle asked.

"He wasn't very nice." Lanie said. "He taught us bad words." The adults tried not laugh at the way Lanie said the last part of her description. Kate nodded.

"Did he come over at all in the past year? Maybe around the time your brother was born?" The detective asked. Cassie shifted uncomfortably. Castle looked over at Kate and raised his eyebrow. She shook her head and waited for Cassie to say something.

"I know this is hard sweetie, but you need to tell us." Kate said. About a minute went by, and Kate knew she was not going to get any more information.

"You can go play." Castle said. The girls happily left the room.

"What was that about Kate?" Castle asked once he shut the door.

"I need to know what the girls know about Ben. We think he may be the murderer."

"Okay, but what does Corbin have to do with it?"

"Corbin is Ben's son." Kate said.

Rick stared at the detective. He never would expect something like that to happen. Though, with his years invested at the 12th he should have.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked.

"Yeah. Esposito gave me the records today. There were no doctor's visits by the Brandons until a few weeks after Corbin was born." Kate replied.

"Do you think Ben could've killed them to get his son back?" Castle asked.

"It doesn't seem like it would fit. Why would he kill his sister and brother- in- law just for his son?" Kate questioned.

"Parents will do anything for their kids." Castle said. Kate knew what he said was true and sighed. She knew they would have to find Ben Sanchez soon before something happened to the children.

"Why do you think Ben gave up his son?" Castle asked. Kate looked at him for a moment.

"What are you thinking?" She asked.

"Ben may have wanted to keep his son safe. So, he had his sister and her husband take care of him." Castle theorized.

"Then he wanted Corbin back, _but _they wouldn't let him have him." Kate added. "I'll have Ryan and Esposito look into Ben's life over the past year." She said. Rick nodded before deciding to leave the room and let Kate finish her phone call.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hopefully you remembered what happened last time in **_**Close to Home**_**, but if not:**

**Kate is making a phone call to the boys and Castle just stepped out of his study.**

"Where's Detective Beckett?" Alexis asked as she looked up from the game she was playing with the girls.

"She needed to make a phone call." Castle said. He stopped for a second before going back to his study. He poked his head in and Beckett saw him. She shut her phone so her partner could speak.

"Do we need to call the girls' school?" Castle questioned. Kate smiled at Rick's fatherly nature taking over. She always loved that side of him.

"It's Saturday Castle. No one in their right mind would be up at a school on a Saturday." Kate replied. Rick laughed remembering the times Alexis' friends would stay up at the school for sport or play practices.

"Monday morning." Castle decided.

"Were you this way with Alexis when she was a kid?" Kate questioned. Castle would have answered, but a voice calling his name made him come out of the study. Kate and Castle found Alexis being pinned down and tickled by Cassie and Lanie. The adults laughed at the scene.

"Dad! Help me!" Alexis gasped while the girls tickled her.

"Okay, okay. Enough. Let's let Alexis breathe." Castle responded with a smile on his face. Cassie and Lanie got up from Alexis and hugged her. Kate looked over at Martha who had Corbin sitting on her lap.

"Looks like someone's asleep." Kate said as she sat down next to the actress.

"It looks like Cassie's not far behind him." Martha nodded to the six year old. Cassie went over to Kate and sat on the couch next to her.

"Hey sweetie." Kate said stroking the girl's hair. "Tired?" She asked. The girl nodded as she buried her head deeper on Kate's lap.

"Looks like it's bed time." Castle told Lanie. The child looked over at her brother and sister and sighed. Castle guided her to the stairs.

"I've got Cassie." Kate said behind Castle as she carried the child. Castle and Kate put the girls to bed, but before they left, Cassie grabbed Kate's hand telling the woman to stay with her. Beckett bent down and whispered she would be in the loft when the girl woke up. Cassie nodded as she drifted off to sleep. Kate smoothed both girls' hair before standing up to leave the room. When she turned she saw Castle smiling at her.

"What?" She questioned once she got to the door.

"You really are great with them." Castle told her as the writer and detective walked down the stairs. At the landing, the partners watched for a moment as Martha and Alexis played with the baby.

"I thought the little guy was asleep." Castle said as he and Kate went over to the couch. Corbin smiled and hid his face from the adults.

"Come on." Kate said reaching for the baby. "It's time for you to go to bed too." She looked over at Castle saying, "Where is he sleeping tonight?"

"I bought a playpen for him. He could probably sleep there." Castle said. "I'll go grab his blanket. We can set it up in my room."

Kate looked over at Martha who smiled.

"You better follow him kiddo." The woman said. Kate looked at the baby she held and noticed he was nodding off again. Quietly, she walked into Castle's room.

**Just because I can, I'm going to name different words for playpen:**

**Pac- n- play, crib, and (just to amuse me and Druid Archer) cot.**

**Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**More domestic Caskett! **

**Enjoy!**

"Hey." Castle said as he took the playpen out of the box and tried to set it up. Kate tried not to laugh as she watched the writer struggle with his task.

"You know there are directions. Right, Castle?" She queried. Rick laughed sarcastically before triumphantly shouting, "Tada!" Kate rolled her eyes at him before grabbing the blanket by the playpen. Castle took the blanket from Kate and put it down before the detective placed the sleeping child inside. They watched the child sleep peacefully before quietly walking out of the room.

"He asleep?" Martha asked from her place on the couch when the duo walked in the living room.

"Yep." Kate said as she and Castle sat down on the couch.

"Hopefully he won't wake up 'til morning." Castle added. Kate looked at him quizzically.

"He was fussy today." The writer explained. Kate nodded.

"Where's Alexis?" Castle asked.

"She decided to head off to bed. And, speaking of bed, I think I'll head off too. Good night you two." Martha replied. The detective and writer told her good night and the woman headed up the stairs.

After a few minutes of silence, Castle looked at her and said, "You sleeping on the couch again?"

"Yeah, do you have a blanket I can borrow?" She asked.

"I'll get it." Rick said getting up as if he were a child. Kate decided to follow him to his bedroom door so he would not forget what he was doing. Stepping inside his room more, Kate looked over at Corbin who was fussing in the playpen. The detective went to soothe him by picking him up.

"Castle?" Kate said stopping her partner's search.

"Yeah?" He questioned popping his head out of the closet.

"Corbin feels hot."

Castle ended his search and walked over to Kate.

"What do you mean he feels ho—" The writer stopped his sentence once he felt the child's head. "I think we have a baby thermometer somewhere." He said. Castle went out of the room to find it with Kate trailing behind him. Completely unsure how to take care of a sick baby, the detective decided sticking by a parent would be a good option.

"He won't break Beckett." Castle told her as he saw how gingerly she held him. He walked over to her with the thermometer and took the baby's temperature.

"101." Castle read.

"Is that bad?" Kate asked.

"I wouldn't worry about it. As long as he still makes eye contact with us and doesn't constantly cry he'll be okay." Castle responded. He took the baby from Kate and went to his room and put Corbin back to sleep. Standing up, the writer saw Beckett out of the corner of his eye.

"I came back for the blanket." Kate said softly. Rick smiled at her as he handed her a blanket and a pillow. The writer watched as the detective walked away. Putting a hand over his face, Rick turned to go to bed.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Please don't make fun of me for the song choices in this. They were the only ones I could come up with without stealing from one of my **_**NCIS **_**fics. **

**Enjoy!**

A few hours later, Kate woke up to the sound of Castle stumbling around in his room. Wondering what was wrong, the detective went to the writer's room. As she got closer she heard crying.

"Is he okay?" She questioned from the doorway.

"I'm not sure. He woke up about half an hour ago and won't go to bed." Castle responded.

"Can I see him?" Kate asked going toward the writer. The man happily handed the baby over. Rick watched as Kate gently soothed the child back to sleep. The woman placed the baby back in the playpen smoothing his hair as she stood up.

"You're really good with him." Castle whispered. Kate turned to him and lightly smiled.

"Thanks." She muttered before saying, "I'm going to go back to sleep. Wake me if he cries again." Rick smiled at her knowing he was in no way waking her up. She had to work tomorrow and he was pretty sure Esposito and Ryan did not want to work with a grumpy Beckett.

The Detective walked into the living room to find a child coming downstairs. Realizing it was Lanie, Kate went over to her.

"What's wrong sweetie?" The woman asked bending down. Lanie sniffled before wrapping her arms around Kate's neck.

"I miss Mommy." The child mumbled into Kate's shoulder. Kate, knowing what it was like losing a parent, rubbed the child's back as she carried her over to the couch.

"You wanna know a secret?" Kate whispered. Lanie nodded against Kate's chest.

"I miss my mom too." The detective said. Lanie looked up at Kate. The detective continued speaking. "She passed away when I was about Alexis' age." The woman said. Lanie processed the information she had been given before speaking again.

"Mommy was a nurse. Was your mommy a nurse too? She said she made people better." Lanie said. Kate smiled at the girl.

"No, my mommy was a lawyer. She helped people too though." Kate responded. The woman looked at the child a moment before saying, "When I was sad, you know what my mom would do?" The child looked up at Kate eager to know the answer.

"She would sing to me. Did your mom ever sing to you?" She asked. Lanie nodded saying, "She would sing a song her mommy sang to her."

"What was it?" Kate questioned.

"_A La Nanita Nana_. Would you sing it?" The child responded. Kate wracked her brain trying to figure out if she knew the song. Knowing she did not, the woman said, "Can I sing you a song my mom used to sing to me?" Lanie nodded and put her head against Kate's chest waiting for the woman to sing. Kate softly sang _Both Sides Now_ by Jonie Mitchel trying to figure out why her mother sang her such a sad song.

**Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the reviews. **

**Enjoy!**

The next morning, Kate woke up to the sense of someone staring at her. Opening her eyes, the detective saw Lanie's blue- green eyes staring into her hazel ones.

"Did you sleep well?" Kate whispered. The child nodded before telling the woman Castle was up.

"He made pancakes with shapes!" The six year old said happily. Kate smiled as she stood from the couch. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Castle putting a dinosaur shaped pancake on a plate.

"Are there sprinkles in there?" Kate questioned. Castle jerked a little making the batter stray from the shape the writer had been creating. Kate could not help but grin when Rick said, "Kate Beckett, you ruined my pancake."

"You'll be fine Castle." Kate said. Castle made a face at her. Rolling her eyes, Kate looked over at Lanie who was smiling at them.

"You're silly." Lanie said. The adults smiled at her.

"We are?" Kate asked tickling her. The child nodded as she giggled. A few seconds later, Kate and Castle heard crying from the writer's room.

"I'll get him." Kate said as she got up from the bar stool. The detective went in Castle's room and took a crying Corbin from his playpen and went into the living room. She grabbed the changing mat and put it on the couch while Lanie went over to her brother to see if she could help. Happily, the child handed different items to the detective. As soon as she started changing the baby, Kate's phone started to ring. Lanie went to grab it and said, "It's Esposito." Kate nodded and motioned the child to press the green button and hand her the phone.

"Beckett." The detective answered after Lanie gave her the phone.

"_Hey Boss. You busy?"_

"Not anymore." Kate said as she finished putting Corbin's diaper on. She took the baby to the high chair that was by Lanie's seat before fully listening to her coworker again.

"_I found out that info you wanted on Sanchez." _Esposito said. Kate walked away from the group, but not before she saw the look of interest on Castle's face.

"And?" The woman questioned.

"_He was with a woman named Ariel Newman a year ago. Records show she died a few weeks ago due to gang violence. We also got a trace on Sanchez." _Kate nodded before hanging up the phone and putting it in her pocket.

"What did he say?" Castle asked as the detective walked back to the kitchen.

"He and Ryan have a trace on the suspect." Kate said making sure she did not say anything to pique the interest of Lanie who was eating her food at the island. Noticing Lanie had not heard anything, the woman said, "I'm gonna go meet the boys."

"None of my famous breakfast?" Castle questioned. Kate shook her head as she grabbed her overnight bag.

"Detective Beckett you wound me!" He called as she walked away. Kate smirked as she went to change.

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	14. Chapter 14

**A bit of randomness: If I were naming these chapters, this would be titled, **_**Doctors, and Twitter, and Cameras, Oh My!**_

**Enjoy!**

A couple hours later, Kate was with the boys arresting Ben Sanchez. On her way back to the precinct, her phone rang.

"Beckett." Kate answered hurriedly.

"_I'm taking Corbin to the hospital."_ Castle said.

"What happened?" The detective alarmingly questioned ready to turn the car around.

"_He's got a really high fever and is lethargic. I tried cooling the fever, but nothing worked."_

"Nothing?" Kate asked.

"_No."_

"Where are the girls?" Kate questioned after she processed what Castle had told her so far.

"_With Mother."_ Castle responded.

"Okay, I'm heading there now." Kate said. Castle was about to respond when he heard the other line die. Sighing, the man repositioned the baby and walked into the hospital. Ten minutes later, Castle saw Kate come over to him.

"How is he?" Kate questioned as she looked at the fussy child.

"Pretty bad." Castle said smoothing the baby's hair. Corbin started fussing again and Kate took him. She rocked him as Castle asked, "Aren't you supposed to be interrogating a suspect?"

"I called Ryan and Esposito. They're taking care of him." Kate said as she rubbed the child's back. The baby started to whimper, and Kate softly soothed him. After what seemed close to an hour, a nurse finally came over to Kate and Rick saying, "A doctor will see him now." The adults nodded and went with the nurse. Kate and Castle sat on the chairs provided in the room while they waited for the doctor. A few minutes later, a doctor came in.

"What seems to be the problem?" The man asked the adults. Kate looked over at Rick.

"He had a small fever last night, but it wasn't bad, so we decided to wait 'til morning." Castle started.

"I got him up this morning and he seemed fine. Nothing unusual." Kate added.

"Then, about midday, he started crying. I didn't think anything about it until he started acting lethargic. After that, I brought him here." Castle finished.

"How old is this little guy?" The doctor questioned.

"A year." Kate responded. The doctor nodded before asking a series of standard questions.

"Now, you said Mr. Castle that Corbin started acting lethargic around midday. Did you feed him anything you wouldn't normally feed him?" The doctor asked.

"Actually Doctor, we don't know what he normally eats. His sisters told us. We are taking care of him and his sisters until family is found for them." Kate told the man. The doctor nodded before saying, "Can you tell me anything he may have eaten today?"

"I gave him his normal breakfast. I did give him a blueberry though when I gave the girls their lunch. But after lunch he played a little longer. He even seemed fine when I put him down for his nap." Castle responded.

"It's probably an allergic reaction." The doctor said. "If anything else happens with him, I'd prescribe an over the counter antihistamine."

"Thanks." Kate said holding the baby.

"No problem Mrs. Castle." The man said. Kate, shocked, was unable to tell the man she and Castle were not married. Once the writer and detective left, the doctor quickly updated his Twitter account saying he had met Richard Castle.

"I feel stupid." Castle said as he and Kate walked to the detective's car.

"Rick, it's fine." Kate said opening her car door and putting the baby in his carrier. "Besides, Cassie's been sick." The woman continued. "You had every right to worry. _And _an allergic reaction is something to be worried about."

"I guess." Rick responded from the passenger seat.

"He's fine now Castle." Kate said. There was silence for a few minutes before Castle said, "Kate, I need you to turn at this next light."

"Why?" She asked.

"I saw a guy with a camera." The writer replied.

"Stop Castle. You're overreacting."

"Am not! Turn!" Castle said. Kate rolled her eyes, but turned anyway.

"Happy?" She questioned angrily.

"Yeah, hopefully nothing will end up on page six." Castle said as Kate took a longer route to get to the parking garage.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Don't let the first few words confuse you. There is an angle to Beckett's anger!**

**Enjoy!**

"You did what!" Kate yelled through her phone as she and Castle walked into the loft fifteen minutes later.

"_We didn't have anything else to hold him on!" _Esposito stated.

"You couldn't hold him for drug possession?" Kate questioned as she set Corbin with his toys. The baby grabbed for Kate's phone.

"No, sweetie." Kate said sweetly as she gently took the baby's hand away.

"_Did you just call me sweetie?" _The other cop questioned a tone of amusement evident in his voice.

"I was talking to Corbin." Kate answered as she sat back on the sofa. Corbin was about to grab the phone again, when he fell. Before either adult knew it, the baby was crying.

"Is he okay?" Castle asked coming into the room. Kate mouthed he fell.

"Hey, Esposito, I'll call you back. Tell me if you get anything." She said hurriedly. The detective heard the man chuckle and say something about her being a mother before she hung up the phone.

"You're okay!" Castle said soothing the child.

"Don't you think you're a little overreacting." Kate questioned. She kept her focus on the toddler as Castle sat beside the detective. The writer noticed Beckett's face go from amused to concerned.

"What?" Castle asked adopting the woman's mood.

"Ben Sanchez was let go." Kate sighed.

"Why?" Castle questioned as his eyes focused on the toddler.

"Not enough evidence."

"Not even—"

"Nope." Kate said. The pair were quiet for a moment before Kate spoke again.

"Where's your mother?" She asked.

"She left a note saying she was going to get the girls ice cream." Castle told her. "Why?"

"I have a feeling Ben is going to come back for Corbin." Kate said worriedly.

"Does he even know where he is?" Castle questioned.

"No." Kate said.

"Okay, then don't worry." Castle said wrapping his right arm around her shoulder. The detective leaned into her partner's embrace before saying, "I just don't want him to end up alone."

"I know." Castle whispered before leaning his face in her hair.

The pair stayed in the same position for about five minutes before they heard a door unlocking. Quickly, Kate instinctively reached for her gun. Castle put his hand on her arm when he realized it was his mother.

"Hello all!" Martha said coming in. The red head was greeted with a "Hello" from both adults.

"We went to get ice cream!" Lanie said happily running up to Castle and Kate.

"I got chocolate!" Cassie said coming behind her sister. The adults smiled at the girls before Castle looked at Lanie and said, "What kind did you get?"

"Strawberry!" Lanie said. The girl saw her brother behind the adults and went to play with him.

"Is he okay?" Cassie asked her voice etched with concern. Kate smiled at her.

"He's fine. He's just allergic to blueberries." The detective responded. The child nodded before playing with her siblings.

"I'm surprised to see you here again. I thought you'd be at work." Martha said to the detective as she came in the room. Kate smiled before saying, "I would have, but when I heard about Corbin, I went to the hospital." Martha smiled at the woman before giving a nod to her son before leaving.

"What was that about?" Kate asked turning to Rick.

"Nothing." Castle responded giving her his signature grin before heading to the kitchen.

"You know you pumped their little bodies full of sugar right?" Castle told his mother. She smirked before saying, "Oh, Richard. You'd think I hadn't learned with Alexis _or _you? I only gave them a cup. They're fine."

"Besides Castle, now you get to know how you act on a daily basis." Kate smirked as she came in. The detective and the actress shared a look of victory before Kate said, "What do we want for dinner?"

"I'll cook!" Castle responded.

"Castle, you've been cooking for the past few days. Let me." The detective offered. Knowing, he would probably give in anyway, Castle conceded.

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	16. Chapter 16

**This domestic Caskett again!**

**Enjoy!**

The next day, Castle came out of his room to find a fully dressed Kate at the stove.

"Hey." Castle said groggily. Kate jumped a little before saying, "Hi Castle." Rick chuckled a little before going over and looking at what she was making.

"Bacon." The man grinned. He was about to reach out for a piece when Kate hit him with the fork she was using.

"Ow!" Castle said quickly taking his hand away. Beckett smirked before going back to the food.

"Are we sending the girls back to school?" Castle asked after he rinsed his hand off.

"I don't want to take a chance with it. We don't know where Sanchez is." Kate replied.

"I'll go call the school." Castle said going toward his phone.

"I bet they'd love getting that call from a famous novelist." Kate chided before saying, "I'll do it. Watch the bacon for me." Castle saluted her before taking over the task.

"Hey Dad." Alexis yawned as she sat at the bar stool.

"Hey Alexis!" Castle replied enthusiastically as he flipped a piece of bacon before fully looking at his daughter.

"What's Detective Beckett doing?" The teenager asked.

"Calling the girls' school." Castle replied. "Apparently, it would be weird getting a call about an investigation from a renowned novelist." The man added.

"She's got a point Dad." Alexis responded. Castle was about to say something else when Cassie and Lanie came in.

"Hi Alexis." The girls tiredly said.

"Hi guys." Alexis said happily. "Wanna sit up here with me?" She asked nodding to the other two barstools. The six year olds climbed in a seat and looked at Castle.

"Bacon?" The man questioned. The girls shook their heads.

"That's what we had Friday." Cassie said. Lanie nodded in agreement.

"Okay, how about eggs or toast?" Castle questioned. The girls looked at each other before nodding.

"Okay. Bacon?" He asked Alexis. The girl nodded. The writer had just finished divvying food onto plates when Beckett came in.

"What did they say?" Castle asked. Kate gave him a look saying she would tell him later. Not long after Kate came in, did they hear a noise from Castle's room.

"I take it Corbin's up." Castle said. Kate was about to go toward the room when Alexis said, "I'll get him!" The writer and detective shared a look before shrugging it off.

"And he needs a change." Alexis said coming out of the bedroom getting a diaper and wipes from the bag close by.

"Do you even know how to change a diaper?" Castle asked his daughter.

"I got it Dad." Alexis said. Castle and Kate exchanged a look that the twins caught on to.

"We'll help!" The girls replied. Chuckling at the children's endeavor, the adults went on eating. Suddenly, they heard a shriek come from the room.

"He peed on me!" Alexis said.

"Go change, we'll clean your clothes." Kate said. Looking at Castle she said, "I'll go help them." A few minutes later, Kate was putting Corbin in his highchair as Martha came down. Fifteen minutes later, they heard Alexis run down the stairs.

"Bye Dad. Love you!" She said as she ran out the door.

"That'd be an interesting story to tell at school." Martha said from her perch at the island. Any comment was stopped by Kate's cell ringing. She found it and answered.

"It's the boys. I gotta go." Kate said kissing Corbin on the top of the head before walking out the door.

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	17. Chapter 17

**Enter**_**: Lanie Parish**_**. (I wonder what interesting thing she'll have to say?).**

**Enjoy!**

An hour later, Kate was sitting in the precinct staring at the murder board. Glancing at her phone, she saw a text from Castle telling her he took the kids to the park. Smiling, she put her phone back down.

Almost on instinct, the detective got up and went to autopsy.

"Kate, you okay?" Lanie asked.

"Yeah." Kate said. There was a pause before the detective spoke again. "I kissed Corbin's head good- bye this morning."

"So?" Lanie said not seeing the harm.

"But this is a case." Kate said.

"And you're not supposed to get attached." Lanie finished. The medical examiner looked at Kate and said, "Honey, if I were the one watching out for those kids with Richard Castle no less, I'd be attached too. Don't feel bad. It's not like it's affecting the case yet." Kate was silent again.

"Yeah." She finally answered. "I have to go." Kate told her.

Beckett was staring at her murder board again when she heard Gates call her name. She turned.

"Detective Beckett, I need to see you in my office. I already had Detective Ryan call Castle."

"What's wrong sir?" Kate asked as she walked into the room. The chief shut the door leaving Ryan and Esposito to figure out what was being said.

"Think it's anything good?" Ryan asked.

"Probably if she has to see Castle in person." Esposito said. As if on cue, Castle came in the precinct with the three kids.

"Hola chicas!" Esposito said when he saw the girls.

"Shh!" Cassie said, "Corby's asleep." The detectives nodded solemnly trying not to laugh at the sister's protectiveness.

"Is Beckett in there?" Castle asked nodding to Gates' office.

"Yeah. Gates was pretty ticked." Ryan stated. Castle glanced at the kids.

"We got this. Go." Esposito said. Castle nodded before walking into the other room.

"Nice of you to join us Mr. Castle." Gates said. Castle gave Kate a questioning look. Kate nodded to the paper on Gates' desk, the headline reading_: Is This the End of Bachelor Life for Everyone's Favorite Mystery Writer?_

"He knows." She said. Castle sighed as he caught a glimpse of him and Beckett walking back to the detective's car with Corbin.

"Detective Beckett, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the case." Gates informed. Beckett stared at the woman in horror.

"You are too involved. Either distance yourself from these children, or step away. It's your call." Gates stated.

"But, they need to be protected." Kate said adamantly. "Besides, I can't do that to Castle—" Rick gently squeezed her arm.

"Kate." He said softly. The woman nodded before walking out of the office. She grabbed her coat from her desk and looked at the kids who were happily playing with Ryan and Esposito.

"Do you guys want something to eat?" Kate asked as she tried to sound cheerful. Knowing something was wrong, Cassie went over to her and gave her a hug. Kate smiled weakly as she hugged the child back.

"You two go get Rick okay?" Kate said. Nodding, the girls were about to go when Castle came out of the office. His face held his usual charm, but Kate and the detectives knew he was far from happy.

"Let's go." Castle said as Lanie and Cassie grabbed a hand. Kate took Corbin and placed him in his stroller before she too headed out of the building.

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	18. Chapter 18

**The beginning will drag a bit, but it should get better afterwards.**

**Enjoy!**

The writer and detective walked into Remy's for lunch. Asking for a high chair, Castle and the rest of the group sat down.

"What's really the matter?" Castle asked looking at his partner after placing Corbin in his seat.

"Nothing." She said defensively. Castle raised an eyebrow to her but decided to drop the subject for the time being.

"What are you girls getting?" Kate asked trying to keep her mind off the case. The girls looked at the menu again before answering. A few minutes later, a waitress came by to take drink orders. Castle and Kate ordered water while the girls ordered a soda.

"Could we also have milk too?" Kate asked nodding to Corbin. The waitress nodded.

"Sure." She said cheerfully before heading back to the kitchen.

"Kate! I have to tell you what Rick did at the park today!" Lanie exclaimed. Beckett gave a sideways glance at Castle before turning back to the girls.

"What?" The woman asked eagerly. The girls happily started telling Kate what happened to them at the park. Halfway through the story, the group's drinks arrived and they placed their food order.

An hour later, Kate and Castle walked into the loft. The detective set Corbin on the ground and helped him walk to his toys while the girls went to find Alexis.

"You really okay?" Castle asked once he and the detective were alone. Kate nodded not wanting to go into detail. Knowing she would cave, Beckett looked over at Rick.

"I'm not supposed to get attached." She told him softly. Castle nodded, but before he could say anything Kate continued.

"I was fine until I went to work today." Kate said. "Then, I kissed Corbin on the head before I left, and-" She trailed off not wanting to tell Castle she felt comfortable with their situation.

"It felt right." Castle finished for her.

"But, it's not supposed to. I was going to call their grandparents yesterday and tell them to pick up the kids because the case had been solved, but with everything that happened—"

"Kate, it's okay. Ryan and Esposito will find Sanchez and the kids will get to live with their family." Rick told her.

"I just wish this were over." She said.

"I know." Castle said as he took her hand.

"Mama?" Corbin asked. The adults looked at the child who was toddling over to them. He reached Kate's legs before falling down again. The adults smiled at him before Castle picked him up.

"You caused us a lot of trouble buddy. Because of you, Kate and I are in the paper." The man said lightheartedly to Corbin. The child smiled up at him.

"Oh stop. It's not like your bachelorhood is ruined." Kate said jokingly.

"And why is that Detective?" Castle questioned.

"Because—" She was unable to finish due to three girls loudly coming down the stairs.

"Hey dad, can me and the girls play Laser Tag?" Alexis asked. Castle gave Kate a look.

"Please Dad? I haven't gotten to play with both of them at once and Cassie hasn't played at all." The red head pleaded.

"Fine. Let me go get the packs." He said. Kate saw Corbin yawn and decided it would be a good idea to put the child down for his nap.

**Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Enjoy!**

"You following me Detective?" Castle asked with a raised eyebrow as the detective followed him to his bedroom.

"Well, Corbin does sleep in here." Kate replied as they entered his room. Castle shook his head as he went to grab the Laser Tag gear. The writer and detective worked around each other wordlessly and easily. Castle was about to leave when he saw Kate soothe the baby to sleep with a lullaby. Before he could be caught staring, the man quietly left the room.

"Play upstairs. Your brother is asleep. Lanie, Alexis, you know the rules, so fill Cassie in. Got it?" The man asked. The children and teen nodded before heading upstairs.

"They look like they're having fun." Kate said coming in the room. Rick chuckled.

"Yeah." He said. He paused before saying, "I'm just sad I could never give Alexis a playmate growing up."

"Cheer up Castle. You and I both know being an only child isn't all bad. Besides, look at how well she's turned out." Kate replied. Castle nodded before the adults lapsed into a period of silence.

"You still feel bad about being attached?" Castle asked breaking the silence.

"Not as much." Kate answered. "It'll feel empty when they're gone though."

"I know. I like the energy when there are a bunch of people around."

"Is that why you host so many parties?" Kate asked her mouth turned up in a small grin.

"You could say that." Castle said as he headed back to the couch.

"Movie?" Castle asked. Kate nodded before taking a seat on the couch.

Half an hour into the movie, Kate's cell phone rang.

"Beckett." Kate answered.

"_Hey, have you seen the stuff on the news?"_ Esposito asked.

"No. Why?" Kate asked as she mouthed Castle to switch to the news channel.

"_There's some pretty interesting stuff on you and Castle, and I don't think you're gonna like it."_ The man said. Kate sighed as she watched what was being said by the news anchors and gossip hosts.

"Thanks Espo." She said before hanging up. Kate sat next to Castle on the couch each silent for a good ten minutes.

"Did they just say love child?" Kate asked.

"Yeah." Castle responded. "Gina's gonna have a field day with this one." Kate put her head back on the couch cushion and groaned.

"Could this get any worse?" She questioned.

"Besides our shipper name being Caskett?" Castle asked.

"Yeah." Kate replied.

"Yep." Castle told her. Kate immediately shot up from her current position to stare at the screen that Castle had paused.

"Is that—" She started. The detective was speechless as she and Castle stared at a still image of Ben Sanchez who was in the crowd of people being asked about the newly deemed 'couple'.

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	20. Chapter 20

**I know it's a short chapter, but it's really sweet and **_**very **_**Casketty. **

**Enjoy!**

That night, Rick woke up to hear someone trip over something in his office. Slowly getting out of bed, the writer quietly made his way to the study. He opened the door to find Kate staring at her newly made version of a murder board.

"Kate." The man groggily said, "What are doing up? It's two in the morning." Kate turned to look at him.

"I couldn't sleep. I've been looking at this all night and I think I have solid reason to bring Sanchez in." The woman responded. Castle put his hand over his face knowing she had gotten coffee at some point during the night.

"Tell me in the morning. It's time for bed." Castle told her as he veered her to the couch she was sleeping on.

"Castle!" Kate protested. "We know he killed the Brandons. If we can get him to finally confess we—"

"Go to bed Kate." Castle ordered. Kate turned to look at her partner. A look the writer had only seen a few times crossed the woman's features. He waited for her to say something.

"I'm scared." She told him silently kicking herself for the moment of weakness she had.

"That Ben will come for his son?" Castle questioned. Kate nodded as Castle wrapped his friend in a hug.

"He won't get him." The man said. Kate looked up at him for reassurance.

"You have a gun and I have an up to date security system." He told her. The detective did not seem fully convinced. "I'd hate to see anybody cross an angry Beckett. Besides, I'm pretty sure my mother opening the door in her face mask would scare anyone away." Castle finished. Kate smirked before saying, "I just want to make sure he's safe." Castle nodded before following her to his bedroom. Once she was in the room, Kate bent down and gently brushed the boy's cheek with her finger.

"You go back to sleep." Beckett told Castle. "I'll just be in here for another minute." She said. Kate watched the child sleep wondering if the fear she felt right now was how her father felt for her when she was at work.

"It doesn't get any easier." Castle told her bringing Beckett out of her thoughts. The detective leaned into her partner a little.

"Get some sleep." He told her. She shook her head.

"Would it help if you stayed in here with him?" Castle questioned. Kate nodded as she kept her eyes on the sleeping baby. Castle guided the now tired Kate toward his bed. She got in and soon fell asleep. After pulling the covers over her, Castle took one last look at Corbin before heading to the couch to sleep.

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	21. Chapter 21

**For the record, this is the second to last as well as a dark chapter. **

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The next morning, Kate woke up thinking about the kids. Realizing she was in Castle's room, the woman immediately went toward the play pen. Corbin was gone. The detective went into the living room about to ask Castle what happened, when she saw he was serving breakfast in the kitchen.

"Morning." Castle responded cheerily. "Sleep well?" He questioned. Kate merely nodded her head before heading toward the island.

"Hi Kate!" Cassie and Lanie said simultaneously. She smiled at the girls.

"Hi! What are you eating?" She asked.

"We don't know. Rick made it for us!" Lanie told her. Kate eyed Rick suspiciously.

"It's okay Kate." Alexis assured, "I talked Dad out of making his notorious S'morelettes."

"I'm hurt Alexis." Castle stated feigning shock before saying, "Besides, I'll have you know my S'morelettes are _not _notorious, but _famous_."

"I'd have to agree with Alexis on this one." Kate said. "From what I've heard they _are_ notorious."

"Spoilsports!" Castle said. The teenager and adult rolled their eyes at the man. Alexis looked down at her cell phone.

"Hey Dad, I gotta go!" She said before kissing her father good- bye.

"Alright see you later." He told her.

"Bye Kate!" She called as she left.

"Bye Alexis!" Kate called. A few minutes later she looked at what the girls were eating.

"What exactly _are _you eating?" Beckett asked debating on taking a bite of Castle's food.

"It's a new creation!" Castle stated. "It's this egg with—"

"Okay." Kate stopped him.

"It's good Kate! Take a bite!" Lanie said holding her fork up for the detective. Kate took a bite before coming to a conclusion.

"That _is _good!" Kate said, "Just don't tell me what it's made of." Castle grinned and saluted her with his spatula.

"Looks like someone's done!" The man said looking at the oatmeal clad one- year- old. Corbin grinned from his seat as Castle took him out of the highchair.

"I'm gonna clean this little guy up." Castle announced before cooing at the baby about how he was dirty and needed a bath. The girls asked if they could help to which Castle wholeheartedly agreed. Kate shook her head at the group before deciding to clean the kitchen. She was in the middle of cleaning Corbin's highchair when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" She called knowing Castle and the kids probably were unable to hear her anyway. The detective answered the door and stared at the man in front of her. His face was haggard, his hair unkempt, he smelled of weed, but most of all, Kate could see he had a gun at his side.

"Are you Detective Beckett?" The man asked. Beckett stayed silent. He repeated his question with a little more force.

"Yes." She replied cooly.

"Can I see him?" He asked wearily. Kate looked at him squarely and decisively said, "No."

"Please? I just want to see his little face one more time." The man pleaded. "I promise I won't do anything." He told her as he walked slowly into the room. Kate looked back at his gun.

"Mr. Sanchez," She said, "Before you do anything, I need you to hand me the gun." Sanchez shook his head.

"I can't." He said vehemently as he reached for the gun at his waist, "You'll put me back! I can't go back!"

"Calm down Mr. Sanchez." She said. Kate could see the man's hand shake as he wrapped his hand around the stock of the pistol.

"I just want to see him!" He cried bringing the pistol away from its holster. Kate could see Rick out of the corner of her eye. Sensing something was wrong, the writer went back to his room with the kids. Quickly the man called the precinct to get back up. Kate, knowing Castle and the children were safe, stared at Sanchez.

"Mr. Sanchez, you are in no state to see your son." Kate said.

"Who decides that?" Sanchez yelled. "I should have the right to see my own son!"

Now the man had Kate pinned against the gun and the piano with no way of escape. Images of her shooting crossed the detective's mind as she stood there.

"Is this how your sister and brother- in- law died?" Kate asked feeling a surge of adrenaline. She could tell the man was wavering a bit. She continued.

"Your sister standing against a crib wanting to keep _your son_ safe?" The detective questioned, "Is this what you wanted for your son?" The man's resolve was crumbling. She knew she had him, she just wished she could record it.

"Shut up!" The man finally screamed putting the gun back up to Kate's face. "You have _no_ right to talk about them like that! I was trying to take my son back! He was taken from me! Me! If Ariel hadn't given him to my sister I could still have him!" He yelled. Kate braced herself for the inevitable when she saw a glimpse of an officer's uniform by the door. Mantaining her composure, the detective grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it.

Crying out in pain, the man was unable to notice the cops come in the room. Kate watched in a daze as Ben Sanchez was taken away.

"You okay Beckett?" Esposito asked once the attacker was gone. The detective merely nodded.

"I'm fine." She stated. Ryan and Esposito gave each other a quick glance. "I'm fine." She asserted. Knowing she would be okay, the detectives went to the other room.

"You guys can come out now." Ryan said opening the door. The door knob turned and Castle walked out carrying a tear stained Corbin with Cassie and Lanie following him. The girls immediately ran to Kate and hugged her. She hugged them back as tightly as she could before looking up at Rick. His eyes displayed the same concern she had for him when washed been held hostage.

"You sure you're okay?" Castle asked putting his hand on Kate's shoulder. She nodded before taking Corbin from him.

Esposito and Ryan decided to give the agents a little privacy and headed for the door.

A few hours later, the adults were watching a movie with the kids, when Kate's phone rang.

"Beckett." She answered. A few minutes later, she hung up.

"Who was that?" Castle asked.

"Ryan and Espo. Sanchez was put in jail." She told him. Castle sighed in relief. He looked back at Kate when she said, "I'm gonna call their grandparents to tell them what happened." Castle nodded knowing she needed to do at least that one thing since she was unable to interrogate the murderer how she would have liked.

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	22. Chapter 22

**Here's the last chapter guys. I want to thank Druid Archer, NYC. Always, BoneyCastle237, READINGfancficIsWhyILIVE, zats, sorcier, KMacD, LittleLizzieZentara, basket-case1880, ParisNeverEnded, CastleWriter16, and everyone else who sent out reviews and alerts I got. They really meant a lot and made me happy to post each chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

Castle and Kate sat in the precinct with the children. The past hour and a half, Lanie and Cassie were trying to contain their excitement at seeing their grandparents. For the last ten minutes, Kate noticed the girls glancing at the elevator. She had just returned to her paperwork again when the two girls ran off. Quickly, the detective snapped her head up.

"Girls!" She said going after them. Kate stopped when she saw the children attached to an older couple.

"Hola mijìtas! Como estàs?" The older woman said to Cassie and Lanie as she kissed them on the heads. Beckett smiled a little before saying, "Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez? I'm Detective Kate Beckett." The woman smiled at her before shaking her hand.

"Hello." She said.

"How about we go in here?" Kate said pointing toward her desk. "Castle should be back soon with Corbin." The detective added.

"Thank- you." Mr. Sanchez replied as he and his family walked into the bullpen.

"Hey Kate! I think there's a little guy who wants to see you!" Castle said as he stood close to Corbin as the child toddled into the room.

"Hi sweetie!" Kate said, a grin spreading on her face as the little boy came up to her. "There's someone I want you to see!" Corbin cocked his head to the side as Kate pointed out his grandparents. Mrs. Sanchez smiled at her grandson as the little boy slightly shied away with a smile tugging at his lips. The woman then turned to address the writer and detective.

"Thank- you so much." The woman said, "For everything." The duo smiled.

"It's nothing really." Kate said as she looked over at Castle for a second. The older woman smiled at the couple.

"It means a lot." The man said as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders, "To take care of three kids while doing your job—" The man stopped.

"It was our pleasure." Castle interjected, "Besides, my daughter is older. It was nice to have these two running around." He added looking at Cassie and Lanie who giggled a moment. The woman smiled at the comment remembering what it was like to have her own children running around.

"It never gets old." She told him. Castle nodded in understanding before the adults were quiet.

"Well," Castle said breaking the slight silence, "I guess I'll grab the kids' stuff."

"Are you sure Castle? I could get it—" Kate started. Castle gave her a look that told her it was useless for her to argue.

"Don't do anything too fun without me!" Castle said before walking toward the other room.

"Always trying to act like the hero." Kate said shaking her head at the man's antics.

"They always do. How long have you two been together?" Mrs. Sanchez questioned.

"A little over four years." Kate automatically stated.

"Really? It seemed like longer. Your husband said your daughter was older—" Mrs. Sanchez said.

"We're not married." Kate corrected the woman. Mrs. Sanchez was about to respond when Castle said, "Okay, I got the kids' bags." Mr. Sanchez took them from Castle before good- byes were said. Kate gave Corbin over to his grandmother, but not before kissing him lightly on the cheek. The boy wrapped his arms around Kate for a moment before letting go. The girls had finished hugging Castle and made their way to the detective.

"Bye." The girls chorused before both gave her a tight hug. Before Cassie let go she whispered, "Thank- you Kate." Beckett smiled at the girl before sending her off with her grandparents. A few seconds later, Castle ran after them. Beckett watched her partner have a short conversation with them before going back to her.

Once he came back, writer and detective watched the family enter the elevator. The girls waved at the duo before the doors closed. Castle and Beckett waved back.

"They're really good kids." Kate said still staring at the now closed elevator.

"Yeah, they are." Rick said standing a little behind her.

"I just wish we could see them again. I know it seems selfish, but I hated letting them go." Kate told him. When Rick said nothing in reply, the detective turned to see a small grin coming across his face.

"What?" She asked.

"I told them if they needed anything to call." Castle told her. At the moment, Kate Beckett had an incredible urge to either wrap her partner in a huge hug or plant her partner with a huge kiss. Instead, she smiled at him softly and meaningfully said, "Thank- you Rick."

"Always." He smiled.

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**Also, if enough review, I could write an alternate ending? It'll be like the endings in _Clue_!**


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